First off. I want everyone to know that I do not surf around from one golf guy to the other. The S&T theory may be typically the same, but the teacher is not. I go with Saguto 100% and unless Tom has someone as a guest I ignore all the rest.
The grip.
Yesterday I was watching the grip video in the new Noodle beta thingy and started from the beginning, the grip. I told myself, Hey I don't grip the club that way so I went to the range to try it. I have watched the original one too, but I have gripped the club like this for a long time, so I am comfortable with it and figured I didn't need to change it.
It's a bit awkward to get that thumb covered but I was more amazed at the automatic hinge you get at the top.
I hit the ball well and it was crispy.
I also want to note that with my grip set up, I almost cover the thumb but I never have that automatic hinge at the top and have to hinge on my own. if I remember.
I would like some feedback on the grip for these questions. With the way, I grip the club, I have to remember to hinge and when I do I smack the ball like I'm its daddy. Always? no, but it's getting better. When I do the grip Tom teaches, I get that automatic hinge and I hit the ball like a crispy kiss at the end of a wet fist! Always? no but, I just started using it. Recommendations, please. I am most willing to change.
While we are on the subject of golf. I want to say something about tempo. When I smack the tarnation out of the ball with crispy delight I always try to hit it even further next time by swinging for the fences and I guess things tend to break down and I hit it like Al Czervik, but, not always. I get the feeling it's more times than not though. I have this thing in my brain that I want to have that nice, easy carefree swing of Ben Hogan but I hit a few good ones and I am swinging for the fences even though I know that the nice slow tempo to the top if a good thing for me. I need more discipline. Are there any videos on tempo?
Golf is hard, except when it’s not. Yesterday I played my weekly Wednesday game. I play from the green tees 6012 yards. Light winds from the SSE. I sucked. Shot 91. My GHIN is 11.3.
Today I played with my Thursday group at the same course. Same time of day, same wind velocities and direction, same hole positions. I shot 4 over, 76. Two birdies, one double bogey, four bogeys. The double bogey was a mental error. Instead of hitting the club I needed to reach the middle of the green full, I tried to hit it close to a front pin and wound up in a bunker. Got out but then hammered the putt 10 feet by and missed the come backer.
I hit all iron shots crispy. One 5 hybrid, a new club in the bag, was a bit fat from the rough.
The big revelation for me was how well I hit my driver. I used the power accumulators and was hitting a push draw that was putting me 20 to 30 yards past my normal distance.
That made things a lot easier today. Hoping I can take the same feels to the course tomorrow.
Tom’s instructions for the grip are excellent. Within his instructions I believe there is some wiggle room for matching the degree of strength of the grip to someone’s swing pattern and tendencies. I think starting with the 2 knuckles grip and seeing how that grip presents the club face to the ball at impact is the best way. If you present the club face to the ball at impact closed in relation to the swing path you will produce a hook. Tom’s S&T swing is designed to produce a “push draw”. If it is not drawing then the grip may need to be a little stronger. If the ball is hooking too much then a slightly weaker grip may be needed. Tweaking the grip is probably easier to do than changing the swing path.
Another thing I think happens is that your arm and wrist joints have a natural (for you) alignment that will be present under the centrifugal force of the club head as it pulls away from the center of your swing arc. I think finding the right grip for you aligns your arm-club unit to present the club face naturally without having to consciously manipulate the joints to present the club face the way you want it to the ball.
Bottom line: the club must be held in the fingers to allow a proper wrist hinge. The heel pad of the lead hand must be on top of the club to allow the wrist to hinge properly. The right hand must be in a place to allow you to pressure the club shaft in the correct direction at impact to attain the highest possible compression of the face on the ball.
If anyone sees any fallacies in this diatribe please call me out. I’m still learning.
Tom: I too watched the new very detailed grip videos and am loving the way it allows for a natural hinge and even helps takes the tension out of my hands and arms.
Regarding tempo, the one thing that I have been working on lately is to start my first move in the dowswing with a slow powerful move rather than a quick half-hearted start.
In my case I start the downswing by pushing off the inside of my trail foot. I find when I do it quickly and without applying any real pressure to the ground, I don't have as a good of results as if I do the following:
I imagine that there is a two-ton bolder inside my trail leg at the top of the backswing and my job is to get the boulder moving toward the target and keep pushing in there. With this image in mind I'm not going to be able to get the boulder rolling if my first move is a quick roll of my trail foot. Instead I am going to slowly and with a great deal of force/pressure push my leg against the boulder and keep pushing it till it reaches the target. This has really helped my tempo and actually causes me to hit the ball further.
The same concept would hold true if your first move in the downswing is to bump your lead hip to the target. In this case the boulder would be outside your lead leg and hip. In order to move that boulder you are going to need a lot of force and you will not be able to do this with a quick haphazard bump!
Let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
@Tom Holt - With regard to your grip, consider that if you have to force the hinge to happen, are you going to be able to repeat it to the exact extent and at precisely the same moment in the swing sequence each and every time? Compare that to a hinge that happens properly on autopilot because you just set it and forget it in the grip at address.
As for your ideal tempo, that is something unique to you, and your ball striking quality and consistency will tell you when you've found it. For example, have a look at Mike Bennett striping 17 in a row. Do ya think he's got his perfect tempo dialed in??....😎
With regard to "swinging for the fences", many top players have said that when they really want to crush one they'll actually slow down their tempo a notch. This enables them to fully gather the power accumulators in their swing to the top. From there they can really "step on it" with the lower body for a sequentially powerful unloading. Compare that to the less skilled player who succumbs to the handsy "hit" instinct, gets completely out of sync, and goes all Czervik as a result.
Good share!
Grip, I'm pretty neutral and basic. Used to be a strong side trying to fight the slice and never worked since that advice has nothing to do with why we slice in my opinion. So a nice neutral grip and holding the club firm works for me. It's the first part of set up after I move from behind the ball and line up my clubface down the target line.
As for tempo a slower takeaway works for me and the acceleration in the bottom part of swing, delaying the hips and moving weight forward toward the target line has increased my power and distance off the tee. The only time I swing for the fences, might be well into the round and have a good day and feel for the contact then I might increase the speed and attempt to smash it. Other than that I have found that that nice tempt with acceleration at end works. I'd rather be a few yards shorter and hit maybe one iron more than off the fairway and playing a rescue shot